Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod of the Canton of Zurich

7 1 The Church Synod assembles following its complete Constituent

renewal upon invitation of the incumbent Bureau of the Church Synod Assembly

for its constitution.

a. Invitation

2 The incumbent Bureau of the Church Synod invites the Faculty of

Theology of the University of Zurich to delegate a representation

to the Church Synod in accordance with Art. 15 para. 3 KO.

1 The constituent assembly is opened by the member with the longest

tenure (oldest member in terms of age, female or male). In case of equal

tenure among two or more members, the older member has precedence.

2 If the oldest member (female or male) is unable to attend, the

member who would succeed according to the rules in paragraph 1 takes

over the role of the oldest member (female or male).

The Senior President designates c. Provisional

before the constituent assembly from among the members Bureau

two secretaries and four tellers. These together form the provisional bureau.

1 After the opening words of the Senior President (acting chair) and the Roll call,

Senior President (acting chair) and the verification of the membership list Affirmation

by roll call, the Church Synod affirms the total renewal election of the of renewal

Church Synod based on the motion and report of the Church Council. election

2 A member whose election is disputed must recuse themselves from the

deliberation of the election objection.

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e. Oath of Office

1 Following the ascertainment of the total renewal election, the members of the Church Synod, under the leadership of the Senior President (female or male), shall take the oath of office with the words

"I vow before God to conscientiously fulfill my duties as a member of the Church Synod, to serve the Regional Church in the fulfillment of its mission, and thus to promote the cause of Jesus Christ to the best of my ability with God's help."

2 The members of the Church Synod shall confirm the oath of office with the words "I vow it."

f. Election of the President (female or male)

After taking the oath of office, the Church Synod elects

its President. This person takes over

the chair of the meeting immediately upon acceptance of the election.

g. Other

Elections

16 Thereupon, the Church Synod conducts the elections in accordance with § 113

para. 1 lit. b-d and f-i.

Election of the

Church Council

15 The election of the President and the other members of the Church Council takes place at the first meeting of the Church Synod following the constituent meeting.

Entry during the term of office

Members who join the Church Synod during their term of office can only participate in the deliberations after their election has been confirmed by the Church Synod and after taking the oath of office.

Section 2: Meetings

Convening

1 The Church Synod ordinarily convenes quarterly upon invitation of its President.

2 The Church Synod is extraordinarily convened

a. upon order of its President,

b. upon request of one third of its members,

c. upon demand of the Church Council.

Time and Place

1 The meetings of the Church Synod shall be distributed evenly

throughout the year. The Church Synod may also be convened,

as a rule once per term of office, for discussion of fundamental

questions.

2 The Church Synod shall meet in the City Hall in Zurich. Exceptionally,

the President of the Church Synod may, with the consent of the Bureau,

convene it in another location.

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1 The Church Synod shall be invited to its meetings by its President, with simultaneous notification to the Church Council. Members whose election is disputed shall also be invited.7

2 The invitation shall list the matters to be dealt with as completely as possible.

3 The invitation, as well as motions and reports of the Church Council intended for the Church Synod, shall be made available electronically to the members of the Church Synod for inspection no later than four weeks before the meeting. If this is not possible for a particular matter, its consideration shall be postponed to a later meeting if 20 members support a corresponding motion.10

10 1 The invitation, the motions and reports of the Church Council, Provision

as well as other documents, shall be made available electronically and Delivery

to the members of the Church Synod for their inspection. of Documents

2 The Office of the Church Synod may order the delivery of documents

in printed form.

3 Members of the Church Synod may request the delivery of the

invitation and the motions and reports of the Church Council in

printed form from the Parliamentary Service. A new request must

be submitted for each legislative period.14

4 The date of electronic provision shall be decisive for compliance

with deadlines.

5 If the invitation, the motions and reports of the Church Council,

as well as other documents, are also delivered in printed form, the

electronically provided version shall be decisive.

1 The constitutive assembly and the last ordinary Synod service, prayer

assembly of the year shall be introduced with a service, the remaining and song

assemblies with singing and prayer.

2 If the Church Synod is unable to elect the Synod preacher or if the

elected Synod preacher is prevented from serving, the President of the

Church Synod shall determine who leads the service.

1 The President of the Church Synod Opening

is free to open the meetings with an address.

2 She or he submits the business to be dealt with to the meeting

and their order for decision.

3 A short obituary is dedicated to members who have died since the last meeting.

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7 1** The members of the Church Synod are obliged to attend all meetings from the opening to the close.

**2** In case of impediment, they must excuse themselves in writing, stating the reasons, to the office designated by the Bureau of the Church Synod, no later than three days after the meeting.

**3** Members who repeatedly absent themselves without excuse, arrive late for a session, or leave it prematurely, will be admonished in writing by the Bureau.

1 At the beginning of each morning and afternoon session, the

Second Secretary of the Church Synod shall conduct an attendance check. This shall be done by circulating attendance lists, which

each member must sign before the start of proceedings.

2 The Church Synod may at any time, at the beginning of a session or before

important votes and elections, decide to conduct an attendance check by

roll call.

1 The Church Synod is quorate if more than half of the members are present.

2 If the number of those present appears to fall below half of the members, the President of the Church Synod shall, if necessary upon application by a member of the Church Synod, ascertain those present or conduct a roll call.

1 The members of the Church Council, the Church Council secretary, and the representative of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Zurich have a consultative vote and the right to submit motions in the Church Synod.

2 The summoning of experts to the meetings of the Church Synod is carried out by the President of the Church Synod. The Church Council, the parliamentary group leaders, and the chairs of commissions of the Church Synod may submit corresponding motions.

1 Members of the Church Synod who are directly or indirectly affected by a matter through persons closely associated with them are considered conflicted. They shall recuse themselves from deliberations and votes in the commissions and assemblies of the Church Synod.

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2 If a reason for recusal exists according to para. 1 or if a member doubts their duty to recuse, they shall immediately notify the President of the Church Synod or the relevant commission. A recusal does not need to be justified. If the duty to recuse is disputed, the Church Synod, and in the case of commissions, the Bureau, shall make the final decision.

3 No duty to recuse exists in the case of elections and matters that favour or disadvantage a large number of members of the Church Synod, particularly in the handling of legal enactments and the budget.

1 Media professionals shall, upon their request, be invited to the media

assemblies and shall receive all documents and, as far as possible, be

assigned suitable places in the assembly hall, unless the Bureau decides

otherwise.

2 Media professionals are obliged to report truthfully on the proceedings of the

Church Synod. The Bureau may demand that media professionals correct

inaccurate information in their media or publish a counter-statement.

1 The proceedings of the Church Synod are generally public.

2 If the question of excluding the public is debated, the attendees and media professionals who are not members of the Church Synod must leave the assembly hall.

3 For the exclusion of the public, the consent of two thirds of the present members of the Church Synod is required.

The President of the Church Synod decides on the display of newspapers, magazines, leaflets, and other written materials. An objection may be lodged with the Bureau against this decision. The Bureau's decision is final.

1 Listeners will be assigned special seats in the assembly hall, separate from the assembly. In the City Hall in Zurich, the gallery is available to them.

2 Listeners shall refrain from any expression of applause or disapproval. The President of the Church Synod is authorized to remove offenders from the assembly hall.

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3 Audio and video recordings in the assembly hall require the permission of the President of the Church Synod.

Office

a. Position

b. Composition

Section 3: Leadership and Services

1 The leadership of the Church Synod rests with the Bureau. It represents the Church Synod externally.

2 The Church Council informs the Bureau, with regard to the planning of individual Synod meetings, at least three months in advance, which business it intends to submit to the Church Synod at the respective meeting. Exceptions are approved by the Bureau.7

1 The Bureau consists of

a. the President,

b. the two Vice-Presidents,

c. the two Secretaries,

d. the Group Chairpersons.

2 In the event of an unavoidable absence, the Group Chairpersons may be represented by a member of their group.

3 Sections 18, 46–51, 88–96, 99–106 and 111 apply mutatis mutandis to the meetings of the Bureau. A representative of the Parliamentary Services participates in the meetings of the Bureau in an advisory capacity.

1 The President of the Church Synod

monitors compliance with these Rules of Procedure and with

parliamentary custom and order in the assembly hall.

**2 She or he informs the Bureau of all correspondence addressed to the Church Synod**

and notifies the assembly thereof in an appropriate manner.

If the President of the Church Synod is unable to attend, the 1st Vice-President shall assume the chair. If the 1st Vice-President is also unable to attend, the task shall pass to the 2nd Vice-President. If this is also not possible, the assembly shall designate a substitute from among its members.

14 1 The Secretaries of the Church Synod shall perform the tasks assigned to them in accordance with these Rules of Procedure.

**6**

**Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod**

**181.21**

**2 They are responsible for keeping the minutes of the Church Synod and the Bureau, as well as for preparing corresponding drafts, unless these tasks are carried out by the Parliament Service or otherwise by persons or bodies designated by the Bureau of the Church Synod.**

14 The President of the Church Synod, in the event of a signing impediment, a Vice-President, shall sign documents emanating from the Church Synod together with a Secretary.

13 1 The Church Synod has a Parliamentary Service. The Parliamentary Service

It serves as the point of contact, information, and coordination for the Church Synod. Parliamentary Service

It supports the Bureau and the committees of the Church Synod in their activities and performs the tasks assigned to it in accordance with these Rules of Procedure and by the Bureau of the Church Synod.

2 The Parliamentary Service is subordinate to the leadership of the President of the Church Synod. The appointing authority in accordance with § 6 of the Personnel Ordinance of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich of May 11, 20105 is the Bureau of the Church Synod.

3 The employees of the Parliamentary Service are subject to the personnel law of the Cantonal Church. The Human Resources Department of the Cantonal Church handles personnel administration.

4 With the consent of the Church Council Secretary, the Church Council Chancellery is available to the Bureau of the Church Synod, particularly for substitute arrangements in the event of an accident or illness of employees of the Parliamentary Service.

The office regulates the usher service.

Usher Service

Section 4: Protocol

9 1 In every meeting, a record of decisions will be kept.

Record of

Decisions

2 The record of decisions contains the contents according to § 30 lit. c, e and f.

3 It is approved by the President of the Church Synod and published electronically

within five days of the meeting.

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181.21 Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod

Meeting

Minutes14

a. Content

b. Approval14

c. Publication14

d. Appendices to the

Minutes14

e. Delivery14

The minutes contain, in an appropriate sequence

a. a list of the matters dealt with,

b. the number of members present and the names of the absent members of the Church Synod,

c. the individual matters,

d. the essential content of the votes/speeches,

e. the motions made and the manner of their disposition,

f. when determining election and voting results, the number of votes in favour and against, as well as the number of abstentions,

g. any disciplinary measures.

7 1 The Bureau approves the minutes of each meeting. It

regulates the procedure and determines the persons responsible for drafting the minutes.

2 Members of the Church Synod and the Church Council may, within 30 days of the electronic publication of the minutes, raise objections to their accuracy. The Bureau decides on such objections.

3 The decision of the Bureau may be appealed to the Church Synod. The latter shall make the final decision.

10 1 The minutes of each meeting shall be published electronically after their approval in accordance with Section 31 para. 1.

2 The unused expiry of the period for objections in accordance with Section 31 para. 2 or the legally binding decision on objections in accordance with

10 The minutes include as an appendix the synodal sermon,

the annual report of the regional church and the appeals commission, as well as

the budget and the accounts of the central fund. The bureau decides on the inclusion

of further appendices.

Here is the English translation of the provided text

**10 1 Printed minutes shall be delivered to:**

a. the competent Directorate of the Government Council and the parliamentary services of the Cantonal Council, the necessary copies,

b. the Church Council, the necessary copies,

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Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod

181.21

c. the State Archives of the Canton of Zurich, the Central Library Zurich and the Swiss National Library, as well as other libraries in the Canton of Zurich, two copies each.

d. ...8

e. ...8

f. ...11

g. ...11

h. ...11

i. ...8

**2 Upon request, printed minutes shall be delivered to:**

a. the members of the Church Synod, one copy each,

b. the Council of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland and the governing church authorities of the member churches of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland, one copy each,

c. the media and other persons, one copy each.

**Section 5: Meeting Allowances and Compensations**

1 The compensation of the members of the Church Synod, members

of its commissions and the Bureau for assemblies, meetings, and Bureau

delegations, assignments and expenses are governed by the

Compensation Regulations of the Cantonal Church4.

2 A member who is present at a morning or afternoon meeting of the

Church Synod for the entire meeting or at least two

hours receives a meeting fee. Exceptions are regulated by the

Bureau.

The factions receive an annual contribution for each of their members. The compensation regulations of the national church govern the amount and procedure.

1 For the expenses of the Church Synod, its commissions,

and the Office, the accounting designated by the Office of the Church Synod

shall regularly, but at least once a year, submit to the Church Council

accounts bearing the signature of the President of the Church Synod.14

2 This also applies to the instruction for meeting fees and expenses

for the held assemblies of the Church Synod and meetings

of its commissions.

3 The compensation regulations of the Regional Church govern the details.

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181.21 Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod

Section 6: Subject Matter and Form of Deliberations

Subject Matter

of Deliberations

Free

Discussion

Course of

Deliberations

a. Assembly

Leadership

b. Deliberation

c. Granting the floor

The Church Synod, in addition to the tasks assigned to it under Articles 214–216 of the Church Constitution and further provisions of the Church Order, exercises the following powers

a. Elections,

b. Presentations and discussions on general or specific issues affecting the life of the Church.

1...8

2 Debates within the meaning of § 37 lit. b take place upon arrangement of the

Bureau or upon application by a faction or the Church Council. The

application must be submitted in writing to the President of the Church Synod

specifying the topics to be discussed, at the latest 14 days before

the assembly.7

3 The debate lasts a maximum of one hour. It can be extended upon application

by a member of the Church Synod, if two-thirds

of the members present approve the application.

4 The President of the Church Synod ensures

the thematic structuring of the debate contributions.

1 The President of the Church Synod chairs the proceedings and ensures compliance with the rules of procedure and the observance of parliamentary customs.

**2 The President is responsible for maintaining order in the assembly hall. He or she may, in the event of disruptive unrest, interrupt the proceedings for a specified period or adjourn the meeting.**

1 The President of the Church Synod presents the business in the order decided according to § 13 para. 2. The Church Synod can decide on changes to the order at any time.

2 Deliberation generally consists of justification or reporting and discussion.

3 Whoever speaks on an item of business shall be factual and and brief.

4...8

1 In the assembly, only those who are granted the floor by the President of the Church Synod may speak.

2 The floor is accorded to every member of the Church Synod and the Church Council. If the President wishes to participate in the deliberations, she or he shall transfer the conduct of the proceedings to a Vice-President.

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Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod 181.21

3 In substantive matters based on reports and motions of the Church Council, the floor shall first be granted to the spokespersons of commissions. Thereafter, the Church Council and, where applicable, the spokespersons of the factions shall have the floor. Subsequently, the discussion is open.7

4 During discussions, the President shall grant the floor in the order of registration. Those who have not yet spoken on the subject under deliberation shall be given precedence over those who have already had the opportunity to speak. Members of the Church Council shall be granted the floor out of turn as soon as they request it.

5 The assembly may, upon motion by the President or a member of the Church Synod, close the speakers' list. Requests to speak made prior to this decision shall still be considered.

1. **Speaking Time**

Anyone reporting on behalf of a commission, speaking on behalf of a parliamentary group or the church council, or substantiating a motion, postulate, or interpellation, may not speak for longer than ten minutes. Speakers in a discussion may not speak for longer than five minutes. The speaking time for personal statements is five minutes, and for motions on points of order, in all cases, a maximum of three minutes.

2. The assembly may approve a longer speaking time.

3. Dividing a speech on the same subject into several interventions is not permitted.

1 Language of negotiation

Members of the Church Synod generally use standard German in their negotiations. This must always be used for personal statements and communications.

2 Speakers from the Bureau, the parliamentary groups, commissions, and the Church Council use standard German exclusively.

1 The President of the Church Synod admonishes members who deviate

too far from the subject under discussion to return to the matter at

hand.

2 She or he calls members to order who violate parliamentary decorum,

especially by making insulting remarks against the assembly or its

members.

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181.21 Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod

3 If a member disregards the admonitions of the President to speak to

the matter, or repeatedly commits a violation of parliamentary

decorum, the President shall withdraw the right to speak from that

member.

4 If the member objects to the withdrawal of the right to speak, the

Church Synod shall decide without discussion.

Should a member of the Church Synod continue to speak despite being deprived of the floor, or repeatedly violate parliamentary decorum, the Church Synod may, upon application by the President, exclude such member for the remainder of the session. The application shall not be subject to debate.

1 The Church Synod debates whether it wishes to address a proposal. It may waive an entry debate if no motions for non-entry or referral are submitted.

2 Entry is obligatory for initiatives according to Art. 203 KO, for the referral of motions and postulates, for the budget and the annual report of the National Church, as well as for accounts.

3 If an entry debate is held, it is available for speeches on the proposal as a whole. Motions for non-entry or referral may be submitted.

4 If the proposal is addressed, the detailed deliberation follows. The Church Synod may decide to deliberate on the proposal section by section or article by article, by subject area, or in its entirety.

1 If the Church Synod has entered into a proposal, it may later reject it, in whole or in part, back to the Church Council for review or amendment.

2 Motions for rejection shall include in their reasoning a brief description of the requested review or amendment.

Whoever submits a motion opens it verbally and submits it in writing and signed to the President of the Church Synod before the close of the discussion.

If a motion on a point of order is made during deliberations, then

deliberations on the main subject shall be interrupted until the

motion on the point of order has been disposed of.

1 The President of the Church Synod concludes the deliberation when no further requests to speak are made.

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Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod

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2 The Church Synod may, upon application by the President or a member of the Church Synod, declare the deliberation closed if two thirds of the members present agree to such an application. No discussion shall take place on the application. Article 52 remains reserved.

The Church Synod can, until the final vote on a motion to reconsider, revisit resolutions already made.

Speakers of Commissions and the new Church Council have the opportunity for a concluding remark at the end of the deliberation. This right also extends to members of the Church Synod who represent a commission minority, before them.

7. Section: Parliamentary Motions

1. Motions, Postulates, Interpellations, Written Questions and Questions for the Question Hour – General

must be submitted in writing and signed to the President of the Church Synod, as well as in electronic form.10

2. The President may shorten verbose justifications and amend offensive or discriminatory statements and titles. This decision is final.

3. The President confirms receipt of such parliamentary initiatives and promptly forwards them to the Church Council and the members of the Bureau of the Church Synod.

4. Motions and Postulates are entered into a register of pending parliamentary initiatives. The President of the Church Synod announces Interpellations and Written Questions in an appropriate manner.

1. **Motions and Postulates**

a. Submission

Every member of the Church Synod may submit a motion or a postulate at any time. The text of a motion or a postulate may be co-signed by other members of the Church Synod in addition to the submitting member.

2 A commission of the Church Synod may submit motions and postulates, provided that no member of the commission objects. Such motions and postulates shall be made known to the Church Synod and the Church Council along with their proposal concerning the matter to which they relate, and shall be debated during the discussion of the relevant matter.

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181.21 Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod

b. Withdrawal

c. Justification

d. Amendment

e. Resolution

f. Deletion of pending motions and postulates not yet referred

g. List of pending referrals

3 Motions and postulates must be submitted at least 20 days before the meeting in which their referral is to be discussed according to § 62. If they are submitted at least seven days before a meeting, they may be introduced in that meeting if the majority of the members of the Church Synod votes in favour.7

Motions and postulates can be withdrawn in writing by the member of the Church Synod who first signed them, addressed to the President of the Church Synod, up until their referral to the Church Council.

10 Motions and postulates must be submitted in concise written form, stating the grounds therefor. The written grounds must be submitted simultaneously with the motion/postulate and will be made available electronically to the members of the Church Synod for review, together with the motion/postulate.

The text of a motion or a postulate may, in the course of

deliberations, only be amended with the consent of the member of the

Church Synod who first signed it. This member is entitled to

convert a motion into a postulate.

1 The Church Council shall submit a report and a motion to the Church

Synod on referred motions and postulates no later than within two

years. If it cannot meet this deadline, it shall present an interim report

and explain the delay. In such a case, the Church Synod shall decide on

further deadlines, the timing of a potential deliberation, or the write-off

without further deliberation.

2 If the written report and motion of the Church Council on a referred

motion or postulate are available, the Church Synod shall decide on the

matter and on the write-off of the motion or postulate. If it does not

enter into the report and motion, refers them back to the Church Council,

or does not write off the motion or postulate, the deadline according to

para. 1 shall be extended by one year.

7 The Church Synod shall write off a motion or postulate if the original signatory member resigns from the Church Synod before the latter has referred the motion or postulate in accordance with §§ 62 or 65.

1. Outstanding motions and postulates shall be listed in the appendix

to the annual report of the Church Council, with a note on the status

of their processing.

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2. Following the deliberation of the annual report, the Church Synod shall decide, based on written, substantiated proposals from the Church Council or the Audit Committee, whether a motion or a postulate is to be maintained or dismissed.

1 A motion obliges the Church Council with respect to subjects falling within the competence of the Church Synod to submit a report or draft resolution, or it issues binding instructions to the Church Council regarding a motion to be proposed.

2 If a motion relates to the rules of procedure of the Church Synod or to the organization of work within the Church Synod, the Bureau is obliged to submit a corresponding proposal.

1. **When deliberating on the referral of a motion**

When deliberating on the referral of a motion, the mover shall first be given the opportunity to provide an oral justification. In case of impediment, another member of the Church Synod may undertake this task. Secondly, the spokesperson of the Church Council shall be given the floor.

2. If the Church Council accepts the motion and no counter-motion is submitted from within the Church Synod, it shall be deemed referred. In this case, further discussion may only take place if the Church Synod decides to do so.

3. If the referral of a motion is rejected by the Church Council or from within the assembly, the discussion on this matter is immediately open. After the discussion concludes, the Church Synod decides whether to refer or reject the motion.

4. If the motion contains various proposals, each point may be voted on individually when deciding on rejection or referral.

A postulate invites the Church Council to examine whether, regarding a specific matter, it wishes to submit either a report or a draft resolution from postulates to the Church Synod, or to take a measure within its own competence.

8

10 Referral of Pleadings is governed by Article 62.

1. Referral

of Pleadings

With an interpellation, a written question, and in interpellations,

the question time, information can be requested from the Church Council regarding a matter concerning the life and administration of the Regional Church.

Written Questions and Question Time

a. Subject

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1. An interpellation must, at the time of its submission, be signed by at least ten members of the Church Synod.

2. The President of the Church Synod may reject an interpellation that relates to a matter already being dealt with in a commission.

3. The Church Council shall answer the interpellation in writing within four months of its submission. The Bureau may extend this deadline by a maximum of two months upon request by the Church Council. Once the written answer is available, it shall be included, along with the interpellation, in the invitation pursuant to § 11 para. 2 for the next meeting of the Church Synod and made available electronically to the members of the Church Synod for review with the invitation.

4. The Church Council is entitled to refuse to provide the requested information, stating the reasons. The Church Synod shall decide on the validity of the reasons for refusal. It may instruct the Church Council to answer the interpellation nonetheless.

5. After the interpellation has been answered, the interpellator may declare whether they are satisfied with the information received or not. Further discussion shall only take place if the Church Synod so decides.

6. A decision on the questions affected by the interpellation is excluded.

1. Any member of the Church Synod may submit a written query at any time. The Bureau may suggest to the member concerned to use the question hour or to submit a postulate.

2. The Church Council shall make the written query, along with its answer, available electronically to the members of the Church Synod for inspection within three months of its submission. Justification and discussion in the Church Synod are excluded.

1 **For the answering of current questions by the Church Council, a question hour takes place at each meeting of the Church Synod.**

2 **Concise questions can be submitted in writing to the President of the Church Synod no later than ten days before the meeting.**

3 **The Church Council answers orally. If it considers a topic too extensive, it can refer the questioner to the path of interpellation or written inquiry.**

4 **The questioner is entitled to ask a related follow-up question and to conclude with a brief statement. A discussion does not take place.**

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Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod

Chapter 8: Declarations, Resolutions, and Petitions

181.21

7 Statements by Groups and Personal Statements

Statements by individual members of the Church Synod are possible at any time. They must be registered with the President of the Church Synod with a brief summary of their content.

1. Resolutions are public statements in the sense of resolutions

1. **Petitions**

1. Petitions are submissions from persons who are not members of the Church Synod. They must be submitted in writing to the President of the Church Synod.

2. The Bureau may answer petitions directly after obtaining an opinion from the Church Council. If the complexity or scope of an issue warrants it, the Bureau shall submit a motion and report to the Church Synod. For preparation, it may appoint a commission composed of members of the Church Synod and experts.

3. If the concern relates to a matter for which the Church Council is responsible, the Bureau shall refer the petition to the Church Council for response.

4. The President of the Church Synod shall inform the Synod of petitions that have been dealt with. Members of the Church Synod may take up the concern of a petition dealt with by the Bureau through a parliamentary initiative. If the Bureau submits a motion and report, the Church Synod shall decide on the further consequences of the petition.

9. **Section: Commissions**

* **Standing Commissions**

* a. Composition

* b. Number of Members

* c. Term Limits

* d. Audit Commission

* e. Finance Commission

Standing commissions of the Church Synod are

a. the Audit Commission,

b. the Finance Commission.

The standing committees number seven members.

1. Members of a standing commission may belong to it for a maximum of eight uninterrupted years.

2. The presidency of a standing commission may be exercised for a maximum of four consecutive years. If the president of a standing commission reaches the maximum permissible term of office according to paragraph 1 while exercising the presidency, this term shall be extended until the maximum permissible duration of the presidency.

3. The interruption until a new election as a member or president of the same standing commission must be at least four years.

The Business Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing the management and the annual reports of the Church Council and the Appeals Commission.

The Finance Commission is responsible for auditing

a. the annual financial statements of the Central Treasury and all administrations and funds subordinate to the Church Council for their accuracy and compliance with existing regulations and resolutions,

b. the budget of the Central Treasury,

c. the financial plan of the Regional Church,

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Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod 181.21

d. proposals from the Church Council to the Church Synod concerning

1. Art. 215 lit. a and b KO,

2. the determination of the contribution rate for the contributions of the parishes to the Central Treasury,

3. matters of the Central Treasury submitted by the Church Council to the Church Synod, but in any case, when taking out loans at the expense of the Central Treasury or a fund, as well as when acquiring and disposing of real estate on account of the Central Treasury, each in accordance with the amount specified in the Financial Ordinance³.

f. Further

The Standing Commission shall additionally be responsible for

a. Examination of applications and reports of the Church Council in accordance with § 79 Tasks

Para. 1,

b. Submission of joint reports in accordance with § 83.

1. The Office may appoint ad hoc advisory commissions to review applications and reports

of the Church Council to the Church Synod. Ad hoc

commissions

Upon instruction from the Office, the standing commissions may also serve as such.

2. The Office determines the number of members of the advisory commissions.

These generally comprise nine members. It elects the members, the president, and the minute-taker. The members of the Church Synod are informed about the appointment and composition of advisory commissions.

3. In all other cases, the Church Synod decides on the appointment of ad hoc commissions, describes their mandate, and determines the number of members. If it does not undertake the election of the members and the president itself, this task falls to the Office.

The Church Synod and the Bureau may refer any business brought before the Church Synod, with the exception of interpellations, at any stage of its consideration to a commission for examination and proposal.

Referral to commissions

A member of the Church Synod cannot simultaneously be a member of the Bureau and a standing commission, nor simultaneously belong to more than one standing commission.

Commissions

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19

181.21 Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod

Procedure

a. Provision

of Documents

b. Co-reports

c. Involvement of the

Church Council

d. Contacts

with the Pan-

Church

Services

e. Obtaining

Information

1. The Church Council shall make annual reports, annual financial statements, budget, and other motions and reports available electronically to the Bureau and the competent commissions for inspection at least two months before the meeting of the Church Synod at which they are to be dealt with.

2. If the Church Council is unable to meet this deadline, it shall immediately inform the competent commission, stating the reasons. In this case, the commission may request the Church Synod to postpone the deliberation of the matter until the next meeting.

7 The Bureau may, on its own initiative or upon application by a standing

or preparatory committee, instruct the competent standing committee

to submit a co-report to the preparatory committee.

## 7 Participation of Members of the Church Council in Committee Meetings of the Church Synod

1. The competent member of the Church Council or their representative shall participate in the deliberations of committees of the Church Synod. Exceptions shall be decided by the committees.

2. The participation of the competent member of the Church Council in the deliberations of the standing committees shall be by invitation of the respective committee.

3. If a committee or a committee minority intends to submit motions to the Church Synod that deviate from motions of the Church Council, the committee shall hear the competent member of the Church Council in advance.

Commissions may only establish direct contacts with employees of the Ecclesiastical Services concerning the activities of the commission with the consent of the responsible member of the Church Council.

1 The permanent commissions may request information from the Church Council regarding its management or individual ongoing or completed business, as well as access to the relevant files.

2 A request according to para. 1 must always be granted for completed business. For ongoing business, the Church Council may refuse the request, stating its reasons. Its decision is final. If access to the files is denied, the essential content of the files must be disclosed.

3 Upon request, the permanent commissions shall receive copies of files according to para. 1, provided that no overriding interests preclude it and no excessive effort is involved.

20

Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod 181.21

1. **Reporting**

The commissions shall submit written motions to the Church Synod, simultaneously stating the voting ratio in the final vote, and shall report to the assembly on the outcome of their deliberations and examinations. They shall list minority motions from commission members and motions from commissions invited to co-report in the written commission motion and shall mention these in their report.

2. Anyone submitting a minority motion is entitled to provide an oral justification immediately after the commission spokesperson. Commissions invited to co-report may submit their own motions and report independently during the deliberation of the relevant business in the Church Synod.

3. The commissions shall submit their motions to the President of the Church Synod at least two weeks before the assembly at which they are to be considered.

99. Commission Meetings

**a. Procedure**

Sections 18, 46–51, 6. 100–106, and 111 apply mutatis mutandis to commission meetings.

1. The commissions convene upon invitation from their president.

2. The invitation, announcing the agenda items, is generally issued at least four days before the meeting, accompanied by the meeting documents or by specifying a file for inspection.

1. **Attendance at Commission Meetings**

The members of the Commission are obliged to attend all Commission meetings.

2. If prevented from attending, they must notify the President of the Commission, stating the reasons, before the meeting.

3. If a member of an ad hoc commission is prevented from attending a commission meeting, the parliamentary group to which this member belongs is entitled to send another member from among its ranks to the commission meeting. The President of the Commission must be informed of the substitution in good time.

1 When voting on motions to the Church Synod, voting is compulsory.

2 Members who are defeated on motions to the Church Synod are entitled to submit a minority motion, provided they make a corresponding declaration for the record immediately after the final vote.

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181.21 Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod

e. Minutes

f. Use

of Minutes

and Documents

g. Archive

7. Reporting

a. Orientation

b. Public

Information

1 The commissions shall keep minutes of their deliberations, recording the essential aspects of the deliberations and the decisions taken.

2 The commission minutes shall be drawn up without delay.

1 The commission minutes shall be made available electronically to the commission members and to the member of the Church Council or their representative attending the relevant commission meeting, for inspection. Other meeting attendees shall receive an extract of the minutes upon request. 10

2 The permanent commissions, insofar as they review motions and reports of the Church Council in accordance with § 79 para. 1, and the other commissions shall provide their minutes to the President and the two Vice-Presidents of the Church Synod, as well as to the Presidents of the parliamentary groups. 7

3 The commission minutes shall be subject to confidentiality until the Church Synod makes a decision on the relevant matter. 7

4 Paragraphs 1-3 apply mutatis mutandis to other commission documents.

10 The commissions hand over their files to the Church Council for proper archiving, provided they are not kept in the business management system of the Church Council.

If a commission identifies deficiencies in the bookkeeping or accounting, it shall inform the Audit Committee or the Finance Committee.

1 The President or a delegated member of the Commission may, with the

consent of the Commission and in consultation with the President of the Church

Synod, inform the public in writing or orally about the results of the Commission's

deliberations.

2 The announcement may furthermore include

a. the Commission's decisions with the voting ratio,

b. the essential motions,

c. the views primarily represented in the deliberations,

d. with the consent of the Commission, the opinions and the

votes of individual Commission members.

3 The Commission members and other participants in the

Commission meetings shall not pre-empt this information.

22

Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod 181.21

1. 7. 23 - 121

Section 10: Parliamentary Groups

1 At least ten members of the Church Synod may form a faction.

2 Each member of the Church Synod may belong to only one faction.

3 Factions shall, in principle, be considered according to their strength when appointing the Bureau and the Commissions.

Conference of the Faction Chairs

1. The Conference of Group Leaders prepares, in particular, the elections to be held by the Church Synod and the Office.

2. It constitutes itself. It has a quorum if all groups are represented in it.

3. Sections 88–92, 94–96, 99–106, and 111 apply mutatis mutandis to the meetings of the Conference of Group Leaders.

11th Section: Voting

The President of the Church Synod shall submit the question to the assembly prior to the vote. The assembly shall decide on objections to the method of voting.

Motions concerning Preliminary Questions

All motions relating to a preliminary question, namely the referral back to the Church Council, the other suspension of the decision on the main issue, or the separation of the subject of debate for voting, must be voted upon first.

**Contingent Vote**

1. Sub-amendments shall be put to a vote before amendments, and amendments before the main motion.

2. Whoever accepts a sub-amendment is not obliged to vote for the amendment as well. Similarly, the acceptance of an amendment does not presuppose consent to the main motion.

Concurrent Motions

1 If more than two equally ranked motions are submitted, they shall

be put to a vote side by side. Each member of the Church Synod

may only vote for one of these motions.

2 If no motion achieves an absolute majority of the votes cast, the

motion with the fewest votes shall be eliminated from the vote.

Voting shall proceed in the same manner between the remaining

motions until one receives an absolute majority of the votes cast.

23

181.21

Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod

Decision-

making without

a vote

Decision-

making on

Church Council

reports

Division of

motions and

voting questions

Final vote

Voting

a. In General

b. Roll Call Vote

c. Electronic

Voting

1 If there is no counter-motion to a motion, the President of the Church Synod declares it to be a resolution of the Church Synod without a vote.

2 The vote counts shall in every case be determined during the final vote on

a. Matters subject to referendum,

b. Reports of the Church Council in response to motions and postulates.

The assembly "takes note" of, "approves and takes note" of, or "rejects and takes note" of the reports of the Church Council.

Is an application or a voting question divisible, the discussion of the application or the vote can take place separately, if the President or a member of the Church Synod requests it and the assembly agrees.

7 A final vote on an item of business as a whole takes place if

a. the item of business comprises several motions, after deliberation and decision-making on the individual motions;

b. an enactment comprising several articles, after deliberation and decision-making on the individual provisions.

1 When the Church Synod convenes in the Town Hall, voting takes place using the electronic voting system. In other respects, and in special cases, the voting result may be determined by counting.

2 The voting question can be answered with Yes or No. Abstention is permissible.

3 Voting is done in person at one's seat. Anyone reporting for a commission at the podium votes there. Proxy voting is impermissible.

4 The President of the Church Synod announces the voting result.

A roll-call vote must be held if 20 members of the Church Synod demand it. The minutes must record how individual members voted.

1 The voting behaviour and the voting result are displayed on screens. The voting result is printed out.

24

Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod 181.21

2 In votes by roll call, the voting behaviour and the voting result are printed out on name lists. These are publicly accessible.

3 The Bureau may issue guidelines for electronic voting.

1. **Voting in a counted vote is by standing up.** The tellers must cast their votes discernibly.

2. **In a vote, the opposing majority shall be recorded if requested.**

3. **The President of the Church Synod shall declare whether the majority is present.** If there are doubts about this, or if the President, or a member of the Church Synod requests it, the votes shall be counted.

4. **The tellers shall audibly announce the result of the count to the Secretariat from their position.** A secretary shall repeat the announcements and forward the overall result to the President of the Church Synod.

7 The President of the Church Synod Voice of the

does not vote. In the event of a tie, he or she has the casting vote. He or she is entitled to justify this.

President

1. **Editorial Review**

The Office examines the outcome of votes for extensive submissions and formally rectifies them.

2. If, based on its review, the Office considers substantive changes necessary, it will report to the Church Synod and submit a motion accordingly.

3. The Church Synod may delegate the editorial review of submissions to an Editorial Committee. This committee will submit a motion to the Church Synod for the editorial reading and provide a report. The election of the members of an Editorial Committee is governed by § 79 para. 2.

**Section 12: Elections**

a.

**181.21 Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod**

1 The Church Synod elects for a term of office

its President,

Competence

b. two Vice-Presidents,

c. two Secretaries,

1.7. 23-121

25

d. four tellers and two alternates,

e. the members of the Appeals Commission,

f. the members as well as, subject to Section 75 para. 2, the Presidents of the standing commissions,

g. the synodals for the Synod of the Evangelical Reformed Church Switzerland and as many substitute members as the Church Synod has parliamentary groups,

h.12 the representatives of the Church Synod in the supporting association reformiert.zürich.

i.

2 The Church Synod further elects the Synodal Preacher from within or outside its ranks. For the constituent assembly, the Church Council appoints the Synodal Preacher.

1 Elections in the Church Synod and the Bureau are held openly.

2 The Church Synod elects by secret ballot

a. the President of the Church Council and the other members of the Church Council,

b. if one-third of the members of the Church Synod present agree to a corresponding motion,

c.6 if in an open election there are more nominations than positions to be filled.

Election Procedures

Open Elections

1 If no more persons are proposed than there are positions to be filled, those proposed are declared elected, unless a count is demanded.

2 The vote count shall be carried out in alphabetical order of the names of those proposed.

3 One round of voting shall take place. The relative majority applies.7

4 The President of the Church Synod does not vote.7

7 1 In the first two ballots, all eligible persons may be elected.

2 From the third ballot onwards, no further candidacies are permissible.

Secret Elections

a. Procedure

26

Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod

181.21

3 A person is eliminated from the election if they

a. receive fewer than ten votes in the second or any subsequent ballot,

b. receive the lowest number of votes in the third or any subsequent ballot,

unless more than one person receives the lowest number of votes.

4 Those persons are elected whose name appears on more than half of the valid ballots.

5 If more persons achieve the absolute majority than there are positions to be filled,

those with the smaller number of votes are eliminated as supernumeraries. In the event of

a tie, a further ballot shall take place.

6 The President shall vote.

1. Voting shall be carried out using officially issued ballots.

2. Ballots that are not official or that contain defamatory statements are invalid.

3. For the determination of the absolute majority, blank and invalid ballots shall not be counted.

4. Votes cast for persons who are ineligible, already elected, or have withdrawn from the election, as well as for persons who cannot be clearly identified, shall be struck out.

5. If the name of a person appears more than once on a ballot, the repetitions shall be struck out.

6. If the ballot contains more names than there are seats to be allocated, the surplus names shall be struck out from bottom to top.

1. Vote Counters and Counting

The tellers count the ballots and prepare a written election report and

minutes of the result. The ballots are sealed by the Election Office, stored by the parliamentary service until they become legally binding, and subsequently destroyed. 14

2. Announcement With the consent of the Church Synod, the counting of the

votes can also take place outside the council chamber.

3. The President of the Church Synod announces the number

of members present, the number of ballots distributed and received, and the result of the election. He or she

names at least those persons who have received ten or more votes. The election of the President of the Church Council and the other members of the Church Council is officially published. 15

1.7. 23-121

27

181.21

Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod

4. If the number of received ballots exceeds the number of members present or the number of ballots distributed, the election is void and will be repeated.

Revision

Repeal of previous law

Entry into force

Section 13: Revision and Final Provision

1 The Church Synod decides on amendments to the

Rules of Procedure based on a written motion from the Bureau.

2 Corresponding motions from members of the Church Synod are

to be submitted as a motion to the President of the Church Synod

for the attention of the Bureau. For the treatment of such motions

within one year, § 58 applies mutatis mutandis.

This Ordinance replaces the Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical Reformed Church Synod of the Canton of Zurich of 29 November 2005.

1 OS 66, 370; ABI 2011, 959.

2 LS 181.10.

3 LS 181.13.

4 LS 181.25.

5 LS 181.40.

6 Inserted by Resolution of 24 March 2015 (OS 70, 139; ABI 2015-04-17). In force

since 1 July 2015.

7 Version in accordance with Resolution of 24 March 2015 (OS 70, 139; ABI 2015-04-17). In force

since 1 July 2015.

8 Repealed by Resolution of 24 March 2015 (OS 70, 139; ABI 2015-04-17). In force

since 1 July 2015.

9 Inserted by Resolution of 25 June 2019 (OS 74, 484; ABI 2019-06-28). In force since

1 October 2019.

10 Version in accordance with Resolution of 25 June 2019 (OS 74, 484; ABI 2019-06-28). In force since

1 October 2019.

28

Rules of Procedure of the Evangelical-Reformed Church Synod

181.21

11 Repealed by Resolution of 25 June 2019 (OS 74, 484; ABI 2019-06-28). In force

since 1 October 2019.

12 Version in accordance with Resolution of 7 July 2020 (OS 75, 459; ABI 2020-07-10). In force since

1 December 2020.

13 Inserted by Resolution of 23 March 2021 (OS 76, 169; ABI 2021-03-26). In force

since 1 June 2021.

14 Version in accordance with Resolution of 23 March 2021 (OS 76, 169; ABI 2021-03-26). In force

since 1 June 2021.

15 Inserted by Resolution of 28 March 2023 (OS 78, 207; ABI 2023-03-31). In force

since 1 July 2023.

16 Version in accordance with Resolution of 28 March 2023 (OS 78, 207; ABI 2023-03-31). In force

since 1 July 2023.

1.7. 23-121

29

lit. j CO. They address themselves to the members of the national church,

the entire population, or specific groups or authorities.

2 Individual members, the factions, the Office, or the Church

Council can submit draft resolutions to the Church Synod. A brief written justification can be appended to these.

3 The President of the Church Synod confirms receipt of the draft resolution and makes its wording electronically available to the members of the Church Synod and the Church Council for inspection.

4 If a draft resolution is submitted to the President of the Church Synod at least seven days before a meeting, in writing and signed, as well as in electronic form, it will be presented to the Church Synod for deliberation at that meeting.

5 When deliberating a resolution, the floor is first given for justification. Subsequently, a discussion on whether to proceed takes place. If the assembly decides to proceed and amendments to the draft resolution are proposed, it will deliberate on its content. Such amendments can be decided upon without the consent of the mover of the resolution.